ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. board — to get on
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pop — music
  14. row — a line
  15. march — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. march — the month
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. board — a committee
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com